A medical abstractor will locate and retrieve information from appropriate medical records and prepare it for presentation to the requester, whether it comes from an authorized representative or a patient. Expert medical terminology knowledge and intimate familiarity with medical procedures are essential for the job and are used in four areas: processing requests, extracting information, process improvement, and related billing tracking. In order to fulfill such requests accurately and in accordance with established organization procedures and legal requirements, a keen eye for detail is also required. On a daily basis, employees or contractors in this position will put their strong organizational skills and multitasking abilities to use. In addition to effectively handling stressful situations, he or she may have to deal with an irrational requestor on occasion.
A medical abstractor’s regular tasks include prioritizing and processing information requests. This necessitates comparing the information obtained from the requestor with corresponding medical records in order to ensure accuracy and established priority. He or she will determine the priority of requests using established organizational processes and procedures, ensure that all relevant details and signatures are included in the request, and process the request without delay in emergency situations. In order to expedite the process, he or she may also contact patients and/or authorized representatives immediately if any issues with the received request are discovered.
The central part of the medical abstractor’s job is extracting the necessary information to fulfill the request. He or she may access medical data from a variety of sources, including both digital media and physical hard copies, during this process. The medical abstractor will usually document the request after pulling and verifying the required information, which is often done in an online database for tracking purposes. Preparing invoices for requests that require payment may be a part of this process.
Documenting the request’s completion is also required, and it usually serves two purposes: demonstrating proper procedures for legal purposes and ensuring a smooth process. The goal of quality control in this reporting process is to identify opportunities for improvement and/or compliance. Outlining the necessary resources and communicating those findings to both authorities and internal auditors helps to make recommended improvements a reality.
A medical abstractor’s job description may also include billing and collecting payment from a requestor. He or she may also send written reminders and communicate verbal reminders regarding payment due in response to delays or neglect. Providing accepted payment methods to a requestor and working to ensure that payment is made is sometimes part of the medical abstractor’s job.